The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. [cf. Council of Trent: DS 1799] Section 1661
A sacrament is "an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace". God invites us through our traditions, our families and friends and through our faith community to live as dedicated Disciples of Christ. The Sacrament of Marriage is a witness to the community of covenant love and to the unity and abundant love of Christ for the Church. In Marriage, two unique individuals with their own special gifts come together promising to encourage each other into holiness and wholeness, to welcome children and to live out their faith commitment in the Church, with each other, in their family and in the community.
Christ’s first miracle occurred at the Wedding of Cana, denoting God as the author of marriage, thus elevating marriage to a sacrament. Marriage plays an abiding role in salvation history.
In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ. [Cf. SC 61]
In the Eucharist the memorial of the New Covenant is realized, the New Covenant in which Christ has united himself forever to the Church, his beloved bride for whom he gave himself up. [Cf. LG 6]
It is therefore fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same Body and the same Blood of Christ, they may form but "one body" in Christ." [Cf. 1 Cor 10:17], section 1621
Believing as Church, that the Sacrament of Marriage is experienced, celebrated and conveyed by an active and present community, the family of St. John Neumann requires the following for those seeking to be married here:
- To begin the marriage preparation process, either the bride or groom must be a registered and active parishioner for at least six months. For more information, the bride or groom may email secretary1@sjn-miami.org to inquire about the next steps.
- It is recommended that couples begin marriage preparation at least one year before their anticipated wedding date. The process consists of three key phases:
- Assessment - The couple must schedule an appointment with the priest to officially begin the marriage preparation process.
- Formation - As required by the Archdiocese of Miami, the couple will be enrolled in the Fully Engaged Program and assigned a mentor couple to support them throughout their preparation. Additionally, they must attend either the Transformed in Love or Camino retreat and complete a Natural Family Planning (NFP) Course.
- Preparation for the Celebration - In the final stage, the priest will conduct a nuptial interview with the couple and confirm the wedding date for the Sacrament of Marriage.
- Further details will be provided during the initial meeting with the priest.
